In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria get into data disaggregation! The episode opens with banter, where Kirk reveals how much mileage his four-wheelers acquire. Then the gang gets into some timely news articles, including an article about a co-op on Kaua‘i island handling the threat of a potential tsunami and what that would have meant for their island and co-op. Don discusses an interesting piece of news regarding a company that has enabled a Level 2 charger to support bi-directional charging, compatible with Teslas - a feature that Tesla Powerwalls have not been able to provide. For the main topic, they are joined by a special guest, Jessica Sontag, a Product Analyst from NISC, to help tackle a listener question about how WEMC provides our monthly summary of member electrical usage. Together, the hosts and their guest dive into how data disaggregation helps provide members with better insights into their electrical usage.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria cover a recent news story that got international attention out of Spain. The episode opens with Kirk giving a big research update regarding his prize idea: the lightning box. For news, Shawn covers an article that discusses the growth of renewable energy in Australia. Don then introduces the main topic and main news article regarding the widespread power outage that hit southern Europe. The hosts discuss what happened and why it garnered interest from all over the world. The hosts then address a question about energy efficiency and discuss ways consumers can improve their efficiency at home.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria discuss a literal hot topic in the utility space - wildfires! The episode opens with banter about what the hosts have been busy doing, including Don's experience seeing self-driving cars in the wild. Later, they are joined by special guests Corey Parr, Vice President of Safety and Loss Prevention and Jason Springs, Safety and Loss Prevention Consultant from Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange to discuss wildfire risk and how insurance plays a critical role in protecting cooperative utilities against wildfire damage. Together, the hosts and guests explore strategies to enhance resilience and safeguard communities against the growing threat of wildfires.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria return with a special collaboration on cybersecurity! The hosts kick things off by touching on the unprecedented cold weather we experienced in January. For the main topic, the team explores how IT and cybersecurity have become essential pillars in the electric utility industry—so essential that they’ve brought in three experts to shed light on it all! Changing Energy invites Off The Wire, a cybersecurity podcast, to join this episode! Anthony Kent of Four County and Tanner Greer of Blue Ridge—co-hosts of Off The Wire—team up with Steve Ballard of Wake Electric to discuss their firsthand experiences watching cybersecurity and IT within the utility sector evolve. They share practical insights for utilities looking to stay one step ahead of emerging threats and more! If you’ve ever wondered how the backbone of our power grid stays protected, you won’t want to miss this episode! Check out Off The Wire: https://offthewirepodcast.com/ Available on Spotify and iTunes!
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria discuss the hot topic of the moment: nuclear energy. The hosts open the episode by reflecting on their respective Thanksgiving holiday experiences. The team reviews news articles covering topics such as sci-fi billionaires' climate change efforts, underground battery storage, and renewable energy legislation related to hog waste. The main article focuses on nuclear energy and why it's now in such high demand. For the main topic, the hosts have to call in an expert! Dan Walsh, Senior Power Supply and Generation Director at NRECA calls in to educate the hosts on what’s on the horizon with hydrogen energy.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria have a live studio audience! Live from the Youngsville Boardroom, Changing Energy welcomes the RAMblings Podcast Club from Franklinton High School. Don discusses an interesting article concerning researchers harnessing the power of lightning to help stop erosion on the California coastline. Special guest Jim House from FMI Consulting, shares his expertise in making human-built infrastructure more energy efficient. To round out the episode, the hosts invite questions from their studio audience.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria focus on the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina and the monumental recovery efforts that followed. The hosts discussed the power of cooperative mutual aid as Wake Electric sent linemen to assist one of our sister co-ops in the mountains. Special guest Joe Everett, Wake Electric’s Right-of-Way Supervisor and Journeyman Lineman, shares firsthand stories from the front lines as part of the first crew dispatched for relief. Together, they explore the hurricane’s impact on the region, the challenges the crews faced, and the strength of community when disaster strikes.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, and Shawn talk about how they miss Maria as she vacations in Europe and plans to see Taylor Swift in concert. This sparks further discussions about the sustainability of rock concerts before diving into an article about the current challenges of the grid. Maria rejoins the group as we introduce our summer data science intern, Manuella Kwawu. Manuella talks about her experience moving from Ghana to New York City and summering in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She shares insights from her project analyzing residential bills, revealing fascinating findings about peak usage times and cost-saving opportunities for members.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria are ready for the 4th of July. The impact of the Tesla Cybertruck continues! Don banters about his experience driving it around town and people’s reactions to it. Kirk and Maria talk about hosting an EV Truck event in June as well as an employee appreciation event. Shawn talks about how busy dispatch has been with wildlife incidents. The hosts discuss multiple articles regarding tech companies and AI data centers as the energy sector continues to focus on this hot topic. They also get into an article regarding policy changes that could impact utilities regarding energy plans. For the main topic, Don talks about the hot summer weather despite the otherwise mild days we’ve experienced this year. Don explains the unit ‘degree days’ and how that helps determine how much heating and cooling can be expected in home usage. The gang dives into a listener's question about experiencing high voltage noise under transmission power lines.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria are thrilled to be back after a long break! The hosts banter about their busy schedules during the unintended hiatus, sharing stories from attending various conferences and being busy at the co-op. They also discuss the arrival of the new Tesla Cybertruck and the splash that the electric vehicle is making. Don talks about his drive out west and how that inspired him to explore what makes the state of Oklahoma an interesting case study in energy. The hosts discuss an article highlighting the states with the lowest and highest electric rates in the US. They also explore an article detailing the AI industry's insatiable demand for new data centers. Finally, they answer a listener's question about electric vehicle charging infrastructure, providing insights and updates on this rapidly evolving topic. Story Links: "Compare Your Energy Choices and Electricity Rates by State" "Why the AI Industry’s Thirst for New Data Centers Can’t Be Satisfied"
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria celebrate the upcoming eclipse! Everyone banters about the Annual Meeting that just occurred and talk about new safety procedures for dispatchers, as well as a conference where Don talks (again) about microgrids. Don, with assistance from Shawn, goes through a list of 10 Interesting Eclipse Facts to get everyone excited about the eclipse on April 8th! The group welcomes special guest Peter Muhoro, Chief Strategy, Technology, and Innovation Officer from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, to talk about data analytics. The group discusses the growth of data analytics within the utility industry and what the future of data analytics looks like for electric cooperatives.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria begin by explaining their long absence. The hosts have been busy wrangling Cybertrucks, hosting MAC meetings, attending cool technology conferences, and gearing up for their annual meeting. Don and Kirk discuss TechAdvantage and the interesting panels they attended, covering generational differences in the workforce, drones, EVs, data analytics, and AI. For the main topic, the gang delves into the "AI Revolution" and explores what the future holds when working with this tool in the electric utility industry. They discuss its potential effects on everything from dispatch to member communication. The hosts draw insights from recent news headlines, providing examples of AI applications in other industries, including companies like Wendy’s and Ticketmaster.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria celebrate the first episode of the new year! Everyone discusses their hopes for 2024 and what is coming up for the cooperative in the new year. Chief among those plans is a project involving cooperative-wide meter inspection for the first time in over ten years. The news segment covers everything from the best-selling EVs of 2023 to grant money used in NC to buy electric school buses, the recent demand on the Texas grid, and new applications for coal energy. For the main topic, Don talks about distribution automation and its many amazing applications to improve efficiency and resilience. This includes a sneak peek at a distribution automation project close to home for the cooperative!
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria open up the show with some holiday-themed banter! Kirk talks about his recent trip to Las Vegas and shares news about Nevada's "Greenlink" project and the Sphere. Shawn preps everyone for New Year's with an article discussing the evolution of the Times Square ball drop. Maria delves into the history of Christmas tree lights. Don discusses a smart outlet company that conducted research to determine the energy consumption of a single strand of Christmas tree lights. For the main topic, Don guides listeners through the NREL home solar calculator (linked on WEMC's website) and explains how to use it to determine if solar energy is a suitable option for your household. To close out the last episode of 2023, a segment from a recent event with second graders is released, featuring kids sharing their thoughts on electricity and more!
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria begin by bantering about Kirk's recent shocking electric bill, Spotify Wrapped, and the drain of Christmas lights on the grid. The gang dives into some interesting news articles, starting with a new EV that will hit the market in 2025, involving solar panels, called the Lightyear 2. The hosts then talk about a concert powered by a Ford F-150 Lightning before investigating mystical mobile microgrid innovations. For the main topic, a guest returns! Trey Mumma returns after 20 episodes to update the podcast about what he's been learning in his Environmental Science program at NC State University. Dragon Wings microgrid video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFygHdaCJl4
In this special Halloween episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn and Maria speak about blockchain, cryptocurrency and AI and the impact it has from an energy perspective. Because it's a Halloween episode, the group talks about energy vampires that may be draining your power bill. The group welcomes special guest Bill Jordan, Vice President of Planning, System Studies and Distribution Automation at Booth & Associates. The group discusses the rise of data centers and how much energy data mining and AI really consume. Byyye!
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria provide a sneak peek at some upcoming topics to be featured on the podcast. The podcast opens with everyone stating how thrilled they are that Shawn is back! The hosts also discuss what they've been busy with since the last episode: attending conferences, working on budgets, and organizing WEMC's upcoming MAC meeting. The team then delves into a news segment where they explore an innovative energy trend – floating solar farms! They walk through the pros and cons and global locations of these installations. They also unveil the next five planned episode topics (with Kirk adding sound effects). So much to look forward to!
In this episode, Don, Kirk, and Maria (sadly without Shawn) delve into a collection of listener questions that have built up over the weeks. The group explores the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing infrastructure grant funds to establish EV charging stations in the region. They dive into the responsibilities of cooperatives in terms of data ownership and managing EV load on the grid, while also contemplating what lies ahead in the future. The team also shares some intriguing lightning anecdotes and examines the measures in place to safeguard our grid against lightning strikes. Lastly, they tackle a question regarding the ownership structure of cooperatives and the procedures for handling board elections.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, Shawn, and Maria discuss a hot topic in the utility space – EV telematics! The episode opens with some banter and a discussion about the most recent storm that affected the Wake Electric territory. Later, the group welcomes this episode’s special guest, Will Stein, Account Executive at WeaveGrid, who breaks down the importance of telematics programs and the effects they will have on the widespread integration of EVs. An upcoming telematics pilot program to be launched in Fall 2023 at Wake Electric for qualifying members is announced in collaboration with WeaveGrid.
In this episode, Don, Kirk, and Shawn formally welcome last week's guest host, Maria, to the podcast as their fourth host. The group dives into some banter about Don's recent Hawaii trip and a visit to the new Knightdale substation. They talk through two articles: one regarding California's transmission roadmap plan and another about what experts believe needs to happen so Biden's renewable energy goals can be met. Additionally, Don and Kirk reveal an exciting interview they conducted with two Wake Electric members from the recent Home Solar and EV event, discussing their personal experiences with solar and electric vehicles.